Life-guard for tram-cars.



No. seams. Patented. use'. 4, |900.-

W. T. WATSON.V

LIFE GUARD FDR TRAM CARS. (Applicmon' mea Aug. 21,' 1900.) (no Nadal.)

2 Sheets-'Sheet I'.

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Patented Dec. 4, |900.

W. T. WTSN.4 LIFE GUARD FOR TEAM CARS.

(Application led Aug. 21, 1900.)

-2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Modal.)

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VILLIAM THOMAS WATSON, OF VICTORIA, CANADA.vl

LlFEGUARD FOR TRANI-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,313, dated December 4, 1900.

Application filed August 21, 1900. Serial No. 27,622. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern/.-

Beit known that LWILLIAM THOMAS WAT- SON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, and a resident of Victoria, in the Province of British Oolumbia, Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved Life- Guard for Tram-Oarmcf which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to life-guards or fenders for street-cars, such as electric cars or cable-cars, and has for its object to provide a reliable and comparatively simple car-fender easily adjustable to different cars and having an improved locking device.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of an eX- ample, a car-fender constructed according to my invention. The features by which my invention is distinguished from prior constructions will then be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing one end of a car provided with my improved fender or life-guard. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail plan drawn upon an enlarged scale and showing the manner of securing the rubber tube at the front of the fender. Fig. 5 is a detail plan of the foot-lever adapted to be operated by the motorman or gripman and the adjacent parts. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a rack-bar connected with said footlever. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through a side member of the fender-frame, and Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of the attaching device of the fender.

Similarcharacters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Under the bottom A of the car are secured in longitudinal alinement with each other two sets of brackets or eyes B, in which are adapted to slide the longitudinal bars O. Each of these bars has a pivotal connection with one end of a rod D, the other end of which is pivotally connected with a crankarm E on a shaft E, journaled in longitudinal ribs A on the bottom of the car. The

shaft is under the iniiuence of a spring F, so

or near its center the shaft has a forwardlyextending crank-arm E2, from which a rackbar G passes upward through the platform. The teeth of the rack-bar are adapted to be engaged by a holding-pawl H, pivoted to the platform and pressed by a spring H' into engagement with said teeth, so as to lock the rack-bar G. At one side the rack-bar has a pivoted hook G', adapted to be engaged by a foot-lever I, pivoted at I, the movement of the hook being limited by a pin G3. The upper end G2 of the rack-bar is bent forward. The spring F, in connection with the springs c, mentioned hereinafter, turns the shaft E after the operator has with his foot depressed the pawl H, so as to throw it out of engagement with the rack-bar G. The rack-bar is pressed rearward, so as to normally keep it in engagement with the pawl H by means of a spring J, resting with its ends against the dashboard K.

At the sides of the bottom A are secured downwardly-projecting brackets of approximately triangular form, the members L L of said brackets meeting at their lower ends and one of them being extended to form a hook or seat L2. On the other member L is pivoted a catch M, adapted t-o close the opening formed by the hook L2 and capable of being held against pivotal movement by means of a collar or thimble N, mounted to slide on the said member. (See Fig. 8.)

The fender proper (which is detachable from the parts so far described) comprises a transverse shaft O, which is supported by the hooks L2 and carries armsP, located in the path of the bars O. Y The shaft also has downwardly-extending arms Q, the lower ends of which are approximately horizontal and are provided with a series of apertures, such as Q. The two ends of these arms Q are rigidly connected with brackets R on the tubul'ar rear sections R of the side members of the fender-frame, so that said side members swing in unison with the shaft O. Orossbars S connect said tubular sections. The

front sections T of the side members slide within the tubular sections and are pressed forward by coiled springs U, located within the sections R and abutting at their rear ends against screws U. The front ends of the IOO sections T are connected by a cross member T', the members T T forming together a U -shaped sliding section. An angular or L-shaped member T2 is located at each corner of said sliding section, and said members T2 are grooved to seat a rubber tube V, held in position by means of a threaded rod or wire W, passed therethrough and fastened to brackets T3 by means of nuts W.

To the cross member T is secured the front bed X of the fender. This bed is curved upwardly at its rear end, so as to form a pocket, and may consist of a network of wire or other sufficiently strong and yielding material, or, as shown, of longitudinal steel strips or slats. At their upper or rear ends these slats are formed with eyes X, through which passes a hinge-rod Y, held in position by nuts Y. This rod also passes through eyes Z at the lower end of the rear bed Z, which extends in front of the dashboard K and stands upright. This bed also may consist of wires or of longitudinal slats, their rear ends being bent, as at Z2, and being connected with a transverse stiffeningbar Z3, which may be straight, as shown, but is preferably curved to conform to the shape of the dashboard K. Instead of employing nuts Y', I may provide eyebolts as an equivalent.

The rear sections R of the fender-frame have brackets R2 in advance of the brackets R', and to these brackets are attached chains ct, extending to the hinge-rod Y and limiting the upward movement of said rod. From the arms Q pivoted bars b extend upward and connect with the front ends of springs c, the other ends of which are fastened to hooks cl on the dashboard. (See Fig. l.) Flexible connections, such as chains c', extend forwardly from the upper ends of the arms b to the bar Z3 of the upper bed Z. To hold the fender in the inactive position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, I may employ a chain e, engaging the rubber buifer V, and a hookf on the dashboard K. A bracket g may be secured to the dashboard to guide the fender.

The two beds X and Z of the fender are yielding, as described, and the force of a shock is further broken by the rubber buffer V and by the fact that the front bed can slide rearward against the tension of the springs U. The fender is normally held at a sufficient distance above the track to clear minor objects. In case of an emergency the gripman or motorrnan depresses the lever I, which lifts the rack-bar Gr, the pawl H engaging the teeth as they ascend through the platform and preventing the fender from rising. The bars C press outward on the arms- P, causing the fender to drop at the front end T. When the fender is to be raised back to its initial position` the operator presses the pawl H to release the rack-bar G, and the action is then as explained above.

sired height from the rails, and locked against rising, but would not be prevented from dropping of its own accord if any obstacle fell on it.

It will be observed that by simply detaching the springs c from the hooks d and the shaft O from the hooks L2 (see Fig. 8) the fender proper can be readily removed from the car. Also after removal of one of the nuts Y the hinge-rod Y may be withdrawn, thus severing the connection between the beds X and Z and facilitating repairs. Further, the length of the chain ct may be altered according to the height of the car-bottom A above the ground. In bringing the fender into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 the shaft O forms the fulcrum or center of motion, and, moreover, the two beds X and Z fold on the hinge-rod Y.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A car-fender comprising a fender-frame made of a relatively stationary rear section and a front section mounted to slide forward and backward in relation to the rear section, a normally-inclined rear bed the upper end of which is adapted for attachment to the car, while its lower end is at adistance above the rear frame-section, a front bed the rear end of which is hinged to the lower end of the rear bed, while its front end is attached to the sliding front section, thus leaving a clear space below the upperbedimmediately in the rear of the rear portion of the front bed, and flexible connections extending from the rear frame-section to the hinge connecting the two beds, at the ends of said hinge so as not to encroach upon the said clear space.

2. The combination of the fenderhaving a frame pivoted to the car, and provided with extensions or arms, rods mounted to slide longitudinally on the car and arranged to engage said arms, a spring-pressed rock-shaft operatively connected with said rods, a rackbar connected with the shaft and extending through the platform of the car, a holdingpawl engaging said rack-bar, and a foot-lever havinglitting engagement with said rackbar.

3. A car-fender having a U-shaped front member with angular or L-shaped members at the corners thereof, and outwardly-projecting brackets adjacent to said L-shaped members, a tubular rubber cushion seated in said L-shaped members, a threaded rod or wire passing through the cushion and through the brackets, and nuts screwing on the ends ef said rod.

4. A car-fender, having a fender-frame comprising a relatively stationary rear section and aV spring-pressed, longitudinallyslidable front section, a front bed the front end of whichis connected with the front sec- The fender can therefore be left at any detion of the fender-frame, a rear bed the front Ioo end of which hesahinge Connection Withthe In testimony whereof I have signed my rear end of the front bed, arms pivoted to name to this speeieation in the presence of the rear framelsection, springs extending two subscribing witnesses.

rearwardly from the upper ends 0f said arms, WILLIAM THOMAS WVATSON.

t-o connect them with the ear-frame, and lexi- Witnesses: ble Connections extending forwardly from BENJAMIN A. HUNTER, said arms to the upper end of the rear bed. F. J. BUSBY. 

